Story Time
by bailey1ak
Summary: The girls try to ward off boredom in the infirmary. One-shot Laura Cadman, Jennifer Keller and Orla Grant with a touch of Ronon Dex and Evan Lorne.


_**A/N: **__This one shot was just written for fun to brighten Vana1970's day. Hope this makes up for your Friday, girlie._

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Stargate Atlantis or it's wonderful characters. The OC - Dr. Orla Grant belongs to Vana1970, I'm just borrowing her for this one-shot.

Spoilers: None that I can think of. For those not familiar with Vana's stories Dr. Orla Grant is the love interest of Ronon Dex. Also of note, Laura and Carson are an item as well as Jennifer and Rodney. I know… Jennifer and Rodney – not my thing, hoping my sacrifice is appreciated... jk.

Oh… and no beta on this one so any mistakes and such are my own.

**

* * *

**

**Story Time**

_Mike knew two things instantly when he entered her room. First, her screams were a byproduct of the nightmare holding her mind captive and second… that the tightness in his chest had nothing to do with the adrenalin rush he'd just endured._ Lt. Laura Cadman paused as she turned the page and her eyes moved to the top of the new page.

_He moved swiftly to Sarah's side,_ Laura continued aloud, _and found her body tangled in the bed covers, her back to him as she slept on the pallet on the floor. Mike knelt down beside Sarah and placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently, "Sarah," he called, watching her face as it contorted in fear._

Cadman took another breath and continued, _He tried again with a little more strength in his voice, "Sarah, it's okay. Your safe now, Sarah." He felt her body stiffen with a jerk beneath his hand before it slowly dissipated and she turned eyes fill with both fear and relief. She took one more steadying gaze at the man kneeling beside her before she turned and threw herself into his arms with a whimper._

_Mike was caught off guard by her sudden launch, but was able to keep himself from falling completely to the ground. He maneuvered himself into a sitting position with Sarah on his lap and continued to whisper words of comfort as he held her close and let her cry._

Lt. Cadman looked up from her reading when a figure entering the infirmary caught her eye. "Looks like Jennifer is coming on duty," Laura announced.

"Is that relief I hear in your voice?" Dr. Orla Grant teased from her sprawled position on the bed.

"Why would _I_ be relieved?" Laura snarked back, following Dr. Keller's progression across the infirmary to the nurse's station with her eyes.

"Cause it sounds like things are about to get steamy between Mike and Sarah," the short scientist explained with a hint of laughter in her voice. "You could continue until she's made her rounds and gets here," Orla challenged.

"Are you kidding," Laura laughed, a grin the scientist couldn't see upon her lips and a very mischievous look in her eyes. "It'd be much more fun to listen to Jenn read this next part aloud… it _is_ her turn after all."

* * *

Dr. Jennifer Keller finished consulting with Dr. Amanda Cole before waving goodnight to her. Dr. Cole had informed her that Orla was the only patient in the infirmary and that Sheppard's team was still due back. She'd offered to stay until their return so she could lend a hand with their post mission physicals, but Jennifer turned her down, promising to call her if anything came up.

Jennifer walked over to Orla's bed, giving Cadman a smile as she approached. The red-head was sitting on the other side of the bed and smiled back.

"How are you feeling, Orla?" Jennifer asked as she helped her friend into a sitting position.

"Good enough to sleep in my own bed tonight," she retorted, although the smile belayed any bite in her reply.

Jennifer began to unwrap the bandages around her eyes, "Too bad Dr. Beckett doesn't feel the same," she teased lightly. "Remember to keep your eyes closed," she reminded the scientist as she threw the bandages away.

Laura had been quiet up to this point, but watching Jennifer remove Orla's bandages and now begin to irrigate her eyes sent a pang of guilt through her mind. "I'm so sorry, Prof," Laura spoke up, the uncharacteristic quietness in her voice causing both girls to turn their heads toward her.

With exasperation in her voice, Cadman's part-time team mate chided her, "If you don't stop apologizing I'm going to come over there and slap you, whether I can see you or not." When Orla heard the snort from Laura's direction she put a hand to her hip and her voice had more of a bite, "I'm sure I could convince Ronon to hold you in place."

Jennifer began laughing, "I can just picture that, Ronon could call out directions as you feel your way over… kind of like Marco Polo, only with a little violence mixed in."

Orla growled aloud, "Seriously Laura, if you'd warned me you were going to throw a flash-bang in my direction then it wouldn't have been the element of surprise for our captors that you and Lorne needed to get us out of there."

"And," Jennifer piped in as she finished re-bandaging Orla's eyes, "I'd be pacing here in the infirmary, waiting for news from Sheppard's team and hoping for a quick and successful SAR mission." Jennifer pushed gently on her friend's shoulders, indicating she could lay back. "Instead, because of the flash and smoke, maybe a little debris, you get to be in the infirmary for a couple days and everyone is safe."

"And I get to enjoy a little story time," Orla continued, "which I've got to say has been a blast. I haven't been read to since I was a child."

"Well why don't you hand it over," Jenn said stretching her arm across the bed for Laura to hand over the book. "What did I miss today?"

"Mike finally found Sarah," Orla began to retell the events Jenn had missed before she came on duty. "He snuck into the small dwelling in the village and grabbed her. She was freaked out until he pulled her blindfold off and she realized he was American. He spirited her away through the desert in the darkness until they arrived at a small hut he'd been using as his base of operation." Dr. Grant took a quick breath and continued, "Mike explained that her sister had hired him to find her and bring her home safely. He made contact with his colleagues and he and Sarah are now sitting tight for another day until their pick-up time. He promised her they'd be across the border and halfway home by the next night."

"How long have you been here?" Jennifer interrupted smirking at Cadman.

"What?" Laura complained, trying for innocence, but not pulling it off. "Okay, when I left yesterday Sarah had just made her escape from the bad guys."

Orla giggled, "I told her during her lunch break that last night while you were reading the bad guys had recaptured Sarah," Orla explained. "When dinner rolled around Laura showed up with her dinner and ate with me while she read… _and_ has been reading ever since."

"So it's an addictive book," Cadman grumbled, "stupid romance book."

"You're just mad because your girlie side is showing," Jennifer laughed as she thumbed in the book to the bookmarked page.

"Hogwash, I wanted to see Mike's special ops training in action," Laura said defending herself, "see if the author knew what she was writing about."

Orla and Jennifer both laughed aloud at the blustering Marine.

As the laughter subsided Orla spoke up, "Mike and Sarah had decided to sleep so they'd be rested when their back-up arrived to help them get to the border. Mike just woke Sarah from a nightmare she was having."

Jennifer nodded her head, even though Orla couldn't see her. "Okay, so top of the page."

_Mike was caught off guard by her sudden launch, but was able to keep himself from falling completely to the ground. He maneuvered himself into a sitting position with Sarah on his lap and continued to whisper words of comfort as he held her close and let her cry. _

_He didn't know how long they sat that way, at one point he shuffled them a little so he could lean his back against the wall for support. He noticed now however that her tears had stopped. He was suddenly aware of how little they each were wearing, her tears having fallen upon his bare chest and her bare legs across his lap. _

Jennifer stopped reading and looked up at Laura, "Maybe you should be reading this."

"I don't think so, its your turn," the red head smirked back.

"I agreed to read when you couldn't and the infirmary was slow," Jennifer reminded Laura. "If you're still here then you should be the one reading," Keller reminded her while trying to hand the book back to Cadman.

Laura took a quick look at her watch, "Looky there, I have to get off to bed… mission in the morning with the team and our other part-timer, Radek."

"You guys are going out without me?" Orla protested.

"Its not like you're in any position to be going on a mission, Prof," Laura chastised her, "besides its Radek's turn," the Marine stated, reminding Orla that she and Zelenka took turns as the fourth on Lorne's team. "Night girls," Laura said as she stood to leave. "Might want to borrow that book later and have Carson read me a bed time story," she said with a wink at Jennifer.

At Jennifer's embarrassed look Laura leaned in as she rounded the bed, "Unless you were planning on having Rodney read _you_ a bed time story," Laura said in a low voice.

Jennifer turned a brighter shade of red, but still was able to punch Laura in the arm as the girl straightened up and made a quick move to leave.

"Have fun ladies," Laura called loudly as she moved away. Jennifer's back was to the entrance so she missed the look of glee on Laura's face as she looked back at her two friends before making her way out of the infirmary.

"Okay sweetie," Orla started, with a slight giggle, "now that the pesky girl is gone let's find out what happens next."

"Really?" Jennifer asked, the doubt in her voice.

"Come on Jenn, you can do it," Orla encouraged, trying her hardest not to laugh aloud. "For a friend, a very _bored_ friend," she added, hoping the guilt helped.

Jennifer let out a loud sigh, looked around the infirmary to ensure they were alone, "Alright," she said grudgingly.

_Mike quickly tried to reign his thoughts in as Sarah lifted her head from his chest and pulled far enough back to look at him in the darkened room. "Sorry for crying on you. I don't mean to be so needy," she said before bowing her head to hide her embarrassment._

Orla smiled at the confidence growing in the young doctor's voice as the story seemed to be on safe footing at the moment.

"_Not a problem," he said, moving his hand to her chin and encouraging her to look at him again. "You've been through a lot," he reminded her, "nightmarse can bring a grown man to his knees," he tried to tease. _

_He watched her eyes roam his features before settling on his mouth, stealing his breath. He waited, wondering what she was thinking. _

"How's my favorite scientist doin' Doc," came the voice of Major Evan Lorne as he crossed the infirmary.

Jennifer squeaked a startled sound of surprise as she slammed the book shut.

"Damn, sorry Doc," Lorne said softly as he rounded her chair and the bed to stand next to the chair Cadman had vacated. "Didn't mean to spook you like that," he said with a grin that was growing due to the laughing fit Dr. Grant was having.

Jennifer knew she was red from embarrassment, but had to laugh too, if only to relieve some of the adrenalin rushing through her body. "Is Ronon giving lessons in stealth as well as sparring now," Jenn quizzed the Major with a grin. She stood for a moment and moved closer to Orla's bed as she spoke to Lorne, "Orla's doing great. Dr. Beckett plans to remove the bandages in the morning and after a little testing hopes to release her in the afternoon."

Lorne nodded at Dr. Keller before turning his gaze to Orla, "That's good to hear. Sorry about…"

Orla cut him off, "I've already told Cadman, now I'm telling you. If you apologize one more time I'm going to sic Ronon on you." She let out an exasperated sigh, "I'm a member of your team and expect a few bumps along the way."

"Yeah, but not usually caused by your own team mates," he said deprecatingly.

"Who's quick actions saved us," the scientist reminded him sternly. "Don't you have a mission in the morning?" she asked sweetly, but Lorne knew it was a hint to get over it.

"Yes, I do. Just wanted to check on you before I turned in for the night." He gave a short laugh, "Since you seem to not only be fine, but in good hands," he said with a quick glance at Dr. Keller, "I'll take my leave now. Good night ladies."

Both girls said goodnight and Jennifer turned to watch him leave until he was completely out of the infirmary.

"Is he gone?" Orla whispered.

"Yes," Jennifer said, unable to keep from laughing with Orla at Lorne's timing.

"You're going to keep reading to me, aren't you?" Orla asked with worry in her voice, but a grin on her face.

Jennifer took a moment with her jaw firmly set, but then closed her eyes in acquiescence, knowing she couldn't say 'no' to Orla. She was the only one in the infirmary and although Jennifer could go work on paperwork, she knew she wouldn't with her friend lying in bed with nothing to ward off the boredom. "Okay," she agreed, letting Orla hear the resignation in her voice, "but I'm moving to the other side of the bed so I can see the doorway. No more unexpected visitors sneaking up on us."

Jennifer resettled herself in Cadman's vacated chair and flipped through the book and found the page she'd left off on.

_Mike felt the jolt in his gut when her eyes moved back to his and paused. He didn't dare to breath. Her eyes drifted down to his mouth again, his eyes losing some of their focus when she leaned toward him. He felt her tentativeness as she kissed his lips and he was torn between reassuring her… or reminding her that they were virtually strangers and were most definitely in a strange and dangerous land._

_Before he could decide how to extricate himself with the least amount of embarrassment to either of them, she moved a hand from around his neck where she'd anchored it while crying, and let it slowly trail down his bare chest. Mike took a deep breath in through his nose and couldn't stop himself from deepening the kiss. He moved one of his own hands from behind her back and gently, so as not to spook her, rested in just below her knee. _

_At his touch he felt Sarah turn more into him and the kissing intensified. He ran his hand slowly up her leg…_

Jennifer stopped reading abruptly and began skimming ahead and flipping page after page, growing more embarrassed as she realized how long and intimate this chapter was going to be.

"Just what are you doing?" Orla demanded in the silence.

"Skipping past this scene," she answered absently as she kept skimming along.

"Oh no you're not," Orla insisted. "There is no one here but us, you can just keep right on going missy."

"We aren't alone," Jennifer insisted, "there are three nurses on staff tonight, at least until Sheppard's team returns and has had their physicals."

"And where are the nurses right now?" Orla demanded.

"Over in the nurses station," Jennifer said slowly.

"Chatting amongst themselves most likely, not paying us any mind. So you can continue," Orla insisted.

Jennifer rolled her eyes, but flipped back to where she left off.

_He ran his hand slowly up her leg, moving his other hand to the back of her head as her lips parted beneath his. He worried for a moment as Sarah pushed against his chest and moved off him but not a second later she was straddling his lap, her hands in his hair as she returned her lips to his._

_Mike slipped his hands beneath her t-shirt, one on each side and slowly traced them up her ribs till his hands reached her…_ "and he caressed her," Jennifer finished the sentence.

"That's not what it said," Orla complained.

"Like I need to spell it out," Jenn replied sarcastically, we both know what he caressed next."

"For crying out loud," Orla chided, "you're a doctor. Surely you can say the word 'breasts' out loud."

"Obviously I can say the word '_breasts_'," she emphasized the word to prove her point, "out loud. Just don't know why I need to read this sex scene aloud to you."

"Chicken," Orla challenged with a laugh.

"That's not going to work," Jennifer ground out, although seeing her friend call her a chicken while her eyes were bound was starting to make her grin at their situation.

"You're a chicken," the shorter woman threw out again, laughing even harder.

Jennifer was laughing right along with her when she saw Ronon stick his head in the door and make eye contact with her. He grinned at their apparent good time and began strolling toward them. Jennifer continued to laugh as an idea for payback struck her. She moved her finger to her lips in a shushing motion to Ronon.

"No, I'm not," Jennifer responded while standing as quietly as possible and playing with the pages to keep Orla from hearing any odd movements. Ronon made it to her side and she motioned for him to sit, exceedingly glad that Orla had taught Ronon to read several years ago.

"No one should ever call their doctor a coward," Jennifer warned laughing some more as she handed the open book to a confused looking Ronon. To his credit though, he was following her directions and staying quiet.

"I can't hear you reading me my story," Orla taunted back.

Jennifer grinned back at Ronon, "Hold your horses woman, while I find where I left off." Jennifer leaned over Ronon's shoulder and pointed to a line on the page. She whispered in his ear, "Read it aloud to her."

Jennifer cleared her throat as she straightened, as if readying herself to read. She gave Ronon and encouraging look before waving and turning to leave. She walked very slowly so she'd be in hearing range for the next few moments.

…_and slowly traced them up her ribs till his hands reached her breasts… _Orla heard in a very deep and very familiar rumble causing her to shriek.

Jennifer could hear Ronon's deep chuckle, "What are you readin' Little One?"

Jennifer laugh aloud as she moved to the front of the infirmary to check in the rest of Sheppard's team now slowly making their way into the infirmary. She figured she'd pay for it once Orla could see again, but it was totally worth it.


End file.
